Irish Premier Channels Terminator Movies to Reassure on Brexit

(Bloomberg) -- Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is turning to the Terminator movies to reassure entrepreneurs that his country can overcome the looming challenges of Brexit.

Varadkar told a fintech summit in Dublin that his government is doing everything it can to provide certainty as Brexit negotiations grind on. Quoting a line from the sci-fi movies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Varadkar said: “There is no fate, only the fate that we make for ourselves.’’

Varadkar said that whatever happens, Ireland will continue to offer investors a “stable and competitive” tax environment and will give fintech firms guaranteed access to EU markets.

“I believe Ireland offers real certainty, as firms authorized here, to carry out certain regulated activities, may passport this authorization into other EEA states,” he said.

It’s not the first time a politician has channeled science fiction to talk about Brexit. In February, David Davis tried to reassure people by saying Britain’s exit from the EU wouldn’t result in a “Mad Max-style world borrowed from dystopian fiction.”

But it remains to be seen whether Varadkar’s optimism proves justified. Negotiations over the Irish border -- a key plank of the Brexit talks -- have been dragging on for almost a year with little sign of an agreement. Brexit watchers waiting for a speedy outcome might be better advised to spend their next few months going to the movies.

To contact the reporter on this story: John Fraher in London at jfraher@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Emma Ross-Thomas at erossthomas@bloomberg.net